Holiday madness—stampedes of shoppers, an invasion of tinsel, ceaseless Christmas music—is nearly upon us. To make it to the New Year, head to the Mark Hotel, in Manhattan, where the decorations are tasteful, and the restaurant—a Jean-Georges—is excellent. And if you book the holiday penthouse special this December, the hotel will shepherd you to Bergdorf Goodman for after-hours gift shopping. From an en suite rendition of The Nutcracker to a four-course yuletide feast, dedicated butler and nanny services, and your own skating rink on a private 2,400-square-foot terrace, the suite is a city within a city—a place you’ll never need (or want) to leave once you’re installed. (Contact the Mark for price and availability; themarkhotel.com)

Introduced in the U.K. shortly after World War II, the Morris J-type van sparks fond memories for many Brits. For decades, its smile-inducing profile—straight out of a Thomas the Tank Engine landscape—was part of every city and town, the workhorse of white-jacketed, tie-wearing tradespeople delivering everything from milk to flowers to fish. Then, in 1961, the company dropped the model. Now, thanks to the growing demand for home-delivery vehicles (plus some Chinese investment), it will be reborn as the Morris JE, an all-electric vehicle. Available in 2021. (From $77,000; morris-commercial.com)

In Our Time, a beloved BBC Four radio program, and now podcast, is an academic discussion that is pedagogical without being pedantic. In each episode, Lord Bragg is joined by three professors, and the result is an hour-long itinerary of some historical, scientific, or cultural topic. Highlights include the philosophy of Henri Bergson and the concept of time, a conversation about Middlemarch with two Eliot experts, and a talk on the scientific history of glass. The show strikes a balance between entertaining and informative and avoids the self-aggrandizing, geeky frippery that characterizes other scholarly broadcasts. (bbc.co.uk)

Suitcase, a digital digest of the globe’s best-kept secrets, helps readers travel without feeling like a tourist. The site’s handy planner directs you to worthy spots for eating, drinking, and shopping—the places where locals hang—whether you’re in Barcelona or Beirut, Nairobi or Nashville. Each month, “The Carry On” section lists essentials for flying: the best serum for keeping your skin plump post-plane, the travel-friendly leggings that won’t sacrifice comfort for sophistication, and more. Suitcase also has quarterly print issues, each centered around themes such as taste or nostalgia, filled with in-depth stories for inspiring your next big trip. (suitcasemag.com)

London’s River Cafe opened in 1987, and the cucina has been a beloved favorite ever since, drawing crowds for its seasonal and vegetable-heavy take on rustic Italian cuisine as well as for its modernist interior, overlooking the Thames and the café gardens. While weathering out the winter, River Cafe’s elegant proprietors avoid Christmas kitsch and let the season guide their menu toward steaming, slow-cooked ragùs, which should be enjoyed over leisurely lunches. Their gift box is the best substitute for the café itself. It includes top-shelf Tuscan olive oil, Pugliese tomatoes, serie oro anchovies—cleaned by cloth and individually filleted for maximum flavor—and dried porcini, among other River Cafe pantry staples. Pair whatever you make with one of the included wines, handpicked by the restaurant’s sommelier. ($775, rivercafe.co.uk)

Before he made It’s a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra gave us You Can’t Take It with You. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur as a recently engaged couple, Tony and Alice, the film is a screwball comedy about the first meeting of future in-laws. Lionel Barrymore plays Martin “Grandpa” Vanderhof, the eccentric patriarch of Alice’s wacky, bohemian New York family. Tony’s father, played by Edward Arnold, is a straitlaced, ruthless businessman. High jinks ensue. An adaptation of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s hit play, You Can’t Take It with You has plenty of Capra’s trademark sentimentality, but it’s never sappy. And if you’re dreading Thanksgiving dinner with your in-laws, spend some time with the glorious Sycamore family. (amazon.com)